I about to buy my first DAP. I was about to buy the HiBy R6 III 2025 until a friend of mine told me that I should go for the iBasso DX180. I never owned a DAP before and I live in a country where I cannot try the devices myself. I listen mostly to metal and rock music. So I am so confused and I need someone to help me choose. Any thoughts?
I am planning to buy my first dap, currently I have doubts which one to buy between those two. My budget is $600, which one has better sound? Which one has better quality? Is there any other dap in that price range that is more worth it? Thank you very much for your help!
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Which one would you buy in 2025?
Went from Sony NWA-306 > HiBy R6 III > iBasso DX180 > HiBy R6 III 2025 in the space of about 4 months. Went back to the R6 III coz I love the form factor and feel.
Volume knob still kinda sounds like Kenneth Williams in a blender, but is improved over previous model.
Output isn't as powerful as the DX180 but gets my IEMs and headphones where I want them.
Just feels sleeker and less sharp than other DAPs and hits that price to performance sweet spot (in my honest and very inexperienced opinion).
I was able to root it, and have been having a great time modding the rough edges off of Android 👌. Getting some DBrand real leather laptop skins cut to create a backplate cover for the very slippery backplate, will post once achieved. Stay tuned.
I'm able to get both for the same price. I listen to mostly electronic music (ambient/trance/house) and plan to pair it with the Hifiman Edition XS, and sometimes I would be using my Bluetooth earbuds. I also use streaming apps like Apple Music so OS stability is important. On the other hand, lack of battery life and portability are not dealbreakers for me. As a bonus, it would be great if the screen has little glare and is optimized for watching movies.
Other DAPs I'm considering are Shanling M3 Ultra and Fiio M21, but their screen sizes make them less attractive. Also Shanling is using Android 10.
Personally, which would you choose and why?
Anyone have experience with this new R6iii 2025? The main change is the styling and the DAC chip (quad cs43198). The price difference was minimal. I looked into Ibasso dx180 and Shanling m1 plus, but I found the Hiby checked the most boxes for me.
Budget 600 usd.
I have used ibasso daps for the past 10 years or so and have always enjoyed them.
However with ibasso's move to be exclusive dap wise with bloom audio I'm a bit hesitant to get the new model. I live in an area where I need package lockers amazon provides as well as the fact i work a job that's 6 days a week 12-14 or sometimes 16 hours a day I am not home to sign for packages.
I do take a vacation soon so I would be able to order one within that time to stay at home to sign for it.
However I was curious what other brands I would be able to look at that have amazon prime shipping.
No hiby recs.
Reasons why.
Every single hiby I have had has lasted 6 months to a year before breaking in some way. 3.5mm stops working, battery goes dead, random circuit issues.
All reviews of newer hiby products in 3 stars and below mention all of the issues I've ran into with issue 1.
Hiby os sucks. I'm sorry it just does. I don't care if you can download another player for it. I'm buying a dap for it to just work with no tinkering. I don't care for tinkers.
Heat issues are prevalent with all hiby daps I've used and according to reviews this hasn't changed.
Hi folks, I finally decided to buy a dap and the budget i am comfortable spending is ~500. If any of you had any of the mentioned daps are there any notable issues? I am looking for a smooth UI, eventually well maintained and updated. I don’t know of any non Chinese brand that does a similar product so if there is any I’m considering it. Thanks
The difference in sound quality compared to my iPhone 14 Pro Max is immense, even with my budget IEMs. I'm very impressed! It seems like it's time to consider investing in some high-quality IEMs :)